Minus 18 degrees celsius

 Another cold morning but also not unusual for this part of Canada this time of year. The second snow storm is finished and the cleanup and snow is mentioned for later this week. One should always be careful what you wish for but the snow load on the yard is now getting to be adequate to provide lots of moisture in the spring. 

Thankfully the Delta plane turn-over coming in from Minneapolis, MN at Pearson International Airport in Toronto had a 100% success rate in passenger and crew departing the aircraft (which was burning - one of the motors I think). Excellent work by the first responders in Toronto. I remember the last one in the early 2000s which was an Air France which slipped off the runway and over 300 people were saved with no loss of life. We will learn eventually as the plane is mostly still intact. All flights were diverted but a good distance away for sure with the closest diversion being Waterloo but most to Montreal or Ottawa so those people heading for Toronto had another big trip ahead of them to get home or where they were going. I actually have experienced flying in and out of Pearson on a very snowy day. Absolute clockwork on their part to keep the airport running smoothly. We are, in Canada, a snow covered country for a good period of the year. 

Cleaning all accomplished but no actual work done on my studies but maybe today. I had finished up the last blog with the Latin text of the will of Robert Blake (d 1521). I am going to check my transcription and convert the Latin text to English. I want to see if I had any errors in my transcription. I will do the same with the will of his son Richard who died in 1522. Richard had two brothers as well Thomas and Robert who lived into the 1540s and I have their wills as well. As far as I have been able to determine at this time Robert represents the patriarch of this Blake family (I do not know his parents) in the Andover area and his three sons all had sons and daughters which creates a number of Blake lines in this area. Were they the only Blake families in the Andover area? That appears to be true although the fraudulent works of Horatio Gates Somerby paints a different picture of this family and there are the two charts - Blake Pedigree Chart and the Blake Family chart both produced in England which have conflicting information. That is my goal partly in this month although it will be extended because I added in the Charts. The original goal was to look at the le Blak family of Rouen Normandy and see if I could prove that the Calne Blake family was descendant of this particular Norman family. 

Cleaning the basement has prime priority plus clearing away the snow I did not clear away yesterday on the porch and patio but the laneway is clear. So another busy day and hopefully it will warm up a little. My arthritis hates the winter. 

The first will in Andover area for a Blake is Robert Blake in 1522. I will continue to work on this both the latin and the transcription through the day but this is the large cleaning day so will be sporadic.

Recorded: 3 Jan 2014
Source: Hampshire Record Office, 1522B-04 

Testator: Robert Blake
Place: Enham, Hampshire, England
Type of Record: Will
Date of document: 16 Dec 1521

[Margin]: 1522B-04 

1    In die no[m]i[n]e Ame[n] xvj die dece[m]b[r]is An[n]o d[omi]ni M ccccc xxj Ego Robertij  Blayke co[m]pos me[n]t[i]s et sane memoyre

1. In the name of God, Ame[n], the 16th day of December 1521 I Robert Blayke, in sound mind and memory 
2    asti[pula]tus testame[n]tu[m] [i]n hunc modu[m] In primis do et lego a[n]i[m]am mea[m] deo p[at]ri o[mn]ipote[n]ti corpus qu[e] meu[m] sepeliendu[m] [i]n cimit[t]erio
 

2. have written my will in this way. First of all, I give and bequeath my soul to the almighty father God, my body to be buried in the cemetery

3    p[ar]ochialij eccl[es]i[a]e s[an]cti michaels de Enh[a]m It[e]m do et lego ad mat[ri]ce ecclesie xii d It[e]m do et lego ecclesie de enh[a]m
 

3.  of the parish Church of Saint Michael of Enham. Also I give and bequeath to the Mother Church 12 d. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Enham

4    xl s et una[m] vaccam It[e]m do et lego ecclesis de andever xl oves vel p[or]cus eap quod et iij ls quas yearly kyne

4. xl s  and one cow. Also I give and bequeath to the Church of Andever xl sheep or pork ___ that and iij  which

5    habet i[n] custodia Item do et lego uxori mee x £ q[uod] joh[han]es howton debet It[e]m do et lego uxori mee x quarte
6    rodas frume[n]ti et xx ordeu[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo cc omn[ia] It[e]m do et lego andre blayke una[m] tenem[entum]
7    gra[tia] victus It[e]m do et lego tome longe unu[s] diplade et una came[ra]cia It[e]m do et lego tome filio mee una bictel[  ] and una whipblade
8    cu[m] p[ar]ts et un[u]m par[ ] notay monay It[e]m do et lego thome filio una ara[bilis] terra que vocato bene semers
9    cu[m] ______ It[e]m do et lego Wyllimo gelzeyr una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego rycardo goldyng alia[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego
10    Robarto tary una tunica[m] It[e]m do et lego unicum que suor[or] meor[um] videlicet viro[rum] ac mulier[is] una[m] ane[llus] It[e]m do et
11    lego tome filio meo duas diplades ab It[e]m do et lego robarto Galavay una[m] toga[m] It[e]m do et lego tome
12    filio meo duas diplades It[e]m do et lego Wyllmo blayke una[m] vacca[m] It[e]m do et lego tome filio meo duas pullos
13    et duo verv[ex] It[e]m wyllmo Fuynere debet m[eo] ppt viij modios frume[n]tie et quoliket modio[s] xvi s It[e]m Assigno
14    Tome filio meo una t[enement]a que vacat[o] Rawkynys It[e]m do et lego volo q[uod] una[m] p[re]sbite[r] celebr[at] et in ecclie par[is]h de Enh[a]m
15    p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo et p[ro] ecclie _______ p[ro] spac[iu]m un[ius] anni It[e]m do et lego robarto blayke una[m] vacca[m] et residuum om[n]i[um] bonor[um]
16    meor[um] test[amentu]m mobilium q[uam] immobilium It[em] do et lego ricardo filio meo quo[s] ordino meos veros executores ut
17    ip[s]e disponat p[ro] salute a[n]i[m]e meo hiis testib[u]s d[omi]no johane battey thoma blayke robarto tary
18    et aliis
19    Also I reserve to my sonne Richarde my farme and my tenemente that I do dwelth nowe